Optional standard or screw-holding screwdriver



Aug. 14, 1956 J. M. NEIL Erm.

OPTIONAL STANDARD OR SCREW-HOLDING SCREWDRIVER Filed July 25, 1951 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Aug. 14, 1956 .Lv-M. NEU. ErAL OPTIONAL STANDARD DR SCREW-HOLDING SCREWDRIVER Filed July 2s, 1951 2 Sheets-Shee 2 United States OPTIONAL STANDARD OR SCREW-HOLDING SCREWDRIVER James M. Neil, Oakland, and Thomas Gatos, Calif., assignors to Allen-Neil, a joint venture Application July 23, '1951, Serial No. 238,096

6 IClaims. (Cl. 145-50) B. Keesling, Los Oakland, Calif.,

loosening screws or as a screw-holding screwdriver in both starting and in removing loosened screws.

Another general object of invention is to provide a screwdriver of the above type in which the control ot" conditioning from a standard screwdriver to a screwholding screwdriver is at the option of the user.

Another general object of invention is to provide a screwdriver of the above type in which the screw-holding function is obtained by merely pressing the screw against the screwdriver blade or bit.

Another object of invention is to provide a screwdriver of the above type in which the chang-e of condition from a screw-holding driver to a standard driver is accomplished automatically during insertion of the screw.

Other objects and advantages of invention will be apparent from the following description of a preferred embodiment of the invention, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure l isa longitudinal sectional view through the screwdriver, illustrating the parts with the screwdriver conditioned for use as a standard screwdriver for tightening screws, and loosening screws which have been previously set in place.

Figure 2 is a view similar to Figure 1, illustrating the parts in position as a screw-holding screwdriver which is conditioned to receive and hold a screw.

Figure 3 is another sectional view similar to Figures l and 2, in which the screwdriver has been engaged with a screw and is in screw-holding position.

Figure 4 is a sectional view Aof the blade assembly of of the screwdriver taken on line 4-4 in Figure 3.

Figure 5 is a transverse sectional view of the screwdriver taken in a plane indicated by the line 5'-5 in Figure 2.

Figure 6 is a perspective view of a control sleeve of the screwdriver.

Figure 7 is a perspective view of another control sleeve of the screwdriver.

Figure 8 is a perspective view of the blade member which cooperates with the sleeves shown in Figures 6 and 7.

Figure 9 is a perspective view of the removable portion of the blade.

Figure 10 is a perspective View of the central blade of the screwdriver.

Figure 11 is an elevational view of the screwdriver showing the parts in assembled position.

Figure l2 is a developed view of the relation between the control sleeves shown in Figures 6 and 7 and the blade member shown in Figure 8 with they parts Ain position am o ice

corresponding to Figure 1 for use as a standard screwdriver.

Figure 13 is a view similar to Figure 12 showing the parts during transition from a standard screwdriver position to conditioning as a screw-holding screwdriver.

Figure 14 is a view similar to Figure 12 showing the parts in position as a screwdriver conditioned for screwholding operation, as shown also in Figure 2 for example.

Figure 15 is a View of the parts during movement to grip of a screw.

Figure 16 is a view of the parts shown in position while holding a screw similar to the section shown in Figure 3.

Referring to Figure 1, the screwdriver includes a plastic handle 10 which has embedded therein a sleeve 21. Secured within the sleeve 21 is a control sleeve 22, also shown in Figure 6 and referred to in greater detail hereinafter. The control sleeve 22 is preferably secured within the sleeve 21 by means of a tight press-tit or by spot welding. Adjacent to the rear or handle end of the tool the sleeve 21 has secured therein a plug member 23 having a central aperture for receiving and positioning the screw-holding blade 24 which is formed of resilient material and has its upper end curved and bent reversely to lit in a recess 23a of the plug member 23. The blade 24 is retained in place by a screw 26 threaded in the recessed end of the sleeve 23 and abutting the end of the screw-holding blade 24.

The handle 20 is recessed at 20a to permit access to the screw 26 and to the screw-holding blade 24 which may be introduced and removed through this end of the tool.

The blade or bit portion of the screwdriver comprises a removable bit member 30 (Figures l and 9) having a central aperture 31, and terminating at one end in a key 32 and at the other end in blade or bit portions 33 at either side of the aperture 31. The rear portion of the blade assembly comprises a blade member 34 having a. transverse recess 36 at its front end for receiving the key 32, and at its opposite end having a reduced extension 37 and opposite control ears 38 with liat sides. A sleeve 39 is pressed on the blade member 34 against the two ears 38, and at its opposite end it is threaded to receive a ferrule 41 adapted to engage a tapered portion of the blade member 30 to hold the blade member 30 to the rear blade member 34.

The remaining control portions of the screwdriver include an auxiliary control sleeve 46 (Figures 1 and 7) slidably disposed within the sleeve 21 and having a pair of projecting ears 47 at its front end and another pair of projecting ears 48 at its rearward or handle end. The ears 47 of the sleeve are disposed within the ends of a pair of smiliar opposite axial slot portions S1 in the sleeve 22 having oiset slot portions 52. The ears 48 of the sleeve 46 hold in place a notched collar 53 (Figr ure 1) having one end of a tensional torsional spring 54 seated therein, the other end being engaged in a recess 56 of the blade member 34. The sleeve 22 being in eiect secured to the handle 20 restrains the sleeve 46 against rotation by virtue of the engagement of the projecting ears 47 within the slots S1, and the collar S3, being nonrotatively engaged with the sleeve 46, effectively gives the torsional tensional spring 54 a holding seat in the collar 53 so that it tends to urge the blade assembly clockwise as viewed from the handle end of the tool, and also tends to retain the blade in retracted position in the handle of the tool.

To further control the movement of the parts a compression spring 57 is seated between the collar 53 and the plug 23, and urges the sleeve 46 outwardly with respect to the handle portion 20.

A control washer 55, positioned in Figure 2 between the ends of tube 21 and of the body and ferrule 41 of the blade assembly, can be moved from position shown in Figure 1 to position shown in Figure 2 by either a pushpull action or by a combination of the two, by use of the thumb and forefinger ofthe hand which are conveniently positioned adjacent thereto. The surface of the washer is curved at 55a to enable `rocking of the washer on the sleeve 39.

The `operation of the tool will be explained with reference to Figures 12 through 16 consisting of developed views of the control parts of the tool including control sleeve 22, vthe auxiliary control sleeve 46, and the blade represented by the laterally projecting ears 3S. In those views the blade end of the tool is toward `the top of the sheet. Referring to` Figure l2, the parts are `shown with the tool. conditioned as a standardscrewdriver with holding element or blade 24 in inactive position. In this position the blade is positioned rearwardly with its control ears 38 against slot wall 52a and held between slot wall 52h and ear 47 yof the auxiliary control sleeve 46, which isurged to its forward position by spring 54. In this' position of the parts, the blade portion of the tool is locked against rotation with respect to the handle portion and can be used for either setting or loosening a screw, endwise thrust on the handle in effecting operation of the screwdriver being taken between the ear 38 and the slot wall 52a.

To condition the tool for screw-holding, the washer or ring 55 is moved from the position of Figure l to that ofi Figure 2, moving the blade assembly outwardly with respect to the handle.

Figure 13 illustrates the movement that takes place during the initial part of the operation of the control member or washer 55, the ears 38 being moved outwardly with the blade assembly and being about to ride off of the end of the ears 47 under the rotary influence of the torsional spring 54. This movement also tensions the spring 54.

Figure 14 illustrates the position of the parts when conditioned for screw-holding operation, the ears 38 being retained and the blade assembly being retained in extended position by movement of the blade clockwise with respect to the ears 47 of the auxiliary sleeve 46 so that the ears Sti have'moved against the slot walls`52c and are held in position against the tension of spring 54 by the auxiliary sleeve 46 and its compression spring 57, which is stronger than the tension of the spring 54.

The next stagein the operation of the tool is to push a screw against the end of the blade assembly so that the auxiliary control sleeve 46 is caused to recede against its spring57, and the blade assembly moves off of the shoulders t'ormedbyv the slot walls 52C to position the ears 38 in alignment with the end of the slot 51.

Figure l shows the parts just as the blade assembly has become freel to twist under the inuence of its spring as indicated by the arrow therefore effecting relative twisting movement between the bit portions 33 and the holding blade 24. The parts are then `positioned as illustrated in Figure 16 where the ears 38y have moved over into the lower end portions of the slots 51 and in restraining position with respect to the auxiliary control sleeve 46. The extent of movement in this direction into the end portion of the slot 51 depends upon the width of the screw slot, which will control the extent of relative twisting movement of the parts. The result of this last operationtherefore is to grip the screw firmly in the screwdriver (Figures 3 and 4). As the screw is inserted in its threaded hole, or in the case of a wood screw, as it reaches the point where the torsional resistance tof the screw is greater than the torsional strength of the spring 54, the'blade is in eiect retarded with respect to the handle, and the ears' 38 are moved to the ,left in Figure 16, for example, until they have passed beyond the end of'the ears 47, when the spring 57 will restore the auxiliary sleeve 46 to the position shown in Figure l2 where the parts are againconditioned as a standard screwdriver.

While we haveA shown and described a preferred em'- bodiment of invention, it is apparent that the invention is capable of embodiment in other forms, and also of variation in its present form, so that its scope should be limited only by the scope of the claims appended hereto.

We claim:

l. In a screwdriver, a handle portion, a blade portion received in said handle portion for limited endwise and rotating movement with respect thereto, a screw-'holding blade carried by said handle portion, torsional spring means normally in tensioned condition and operative upon receding movement of said blade assembly to cause relative twisting movement between said blade assembly and said holding blade, means for locking said blade assembly against rotative movement with respect to said handle assembly and for simultaneously restraining it against endwise movement toward said handle assembly, said locking means including an axially movable control member, a control element operative to move said blade assembly to release it from the restraint of said locking means and to place it in overlapping relation endwise with said control member, whereby endwise movement of said blade assembly in response to the thrust of the screw causes said control member to recede, and spring means resisting said receding movement of said control member.

2. In a screw-holding screwdriver, a blade assembly having a radial ear and a blade portion comprising spaced apart bits, a handle assembly including a holding blade extending through said blade assembly and positioned between said bits, said handle assembly having a control member having an end slot portion connecting with an offset internal' slot portion, said ear engaging normally with said offset slot portion, a control sleeve movably mounted between said blade assembly and said handle assembly and engaging said end slot portion of said handle assembly for cooperation with said ear, said internal slot portion being overlapped by said control sleeve and being of sufiicient depth to enable movement of said ear from a position in lateral alignment with said control sleeve toa position out of alignment therewith, a torsional tensional spring connected between said handle portion and said blade assembly urging said ear for displacement from said internal slot portion into the bottom of said end slot portion, a compression spring resisting rearward movement of said control sleeve and being of greater strength thany the torsional function of said iirst spring whereby said ear can be positioned endwise of said control sleeve and retained there by said compression spring, means responsive to pressure of a screw endwise on said blade portion to'position said ear for movement from said internal slot portion into the said end slotportion and for simultaneously causing relative twisting between said blade portion and said holding blade, and means responsive to movement of the screwdriver in setting the screw to re-tension said torsional spring and thereby to restore saidv ea'r into locked relation between said control sleeve and a wall of said internal slot portion.

3. In a screwdriver adapted for conditioning selectively as a standard screwdriver or as a screw-holding screwdriver, a blade structure including a holding element movable between screw-holding and inactive positions relative to the remainder of said blade structure, means for conditoning said screwdriver as a standard screwdriver including means for holding said blade structure in a ixed condition with said element in inactive position, said holding means including a spring, and means for changing the condition of said blade structure and for conditioning said holding element for screwholding operation, said changing and conditioning means including a second spring 'opposedlto and'weaker than said first-named spring.

4. In a screwdriver adapted for conditioning selectively as a standard screwdriver or as a screw-holding screwdriver, a blade structureincluding aholding element movable; between screw-holding and inactive positions relative t'ov the remainder of said blade structure', means for' conditioning said screwdriver as a standard screwdriver arssao including means holding said blade structure in a xed condition with said element in inactive position, means for changing the condition of said blade structure and for conditioning said holding element for screw-holding operation, means responsive to engagement of a screw with said blade structure for moving said element to a screw-holding position, and means operated by the blade structure in response to driving of a screw to restore said blade structure to its condition as a standard screwdriver.

5. In a screwdriver adapted for conditioning selectively as a standard screwdriver or as a screw-holding screwdriver, a blade structure including a holding element movable between screw-holding and inactive positions relative to the remainder of said blade structure, means for conditioning said screwdriver as a standard screwdriver including means holding said blade structure in a fixed condition with said element in inactive position, means including a manually operable member for changing the condition of said blade structure and for setting said holding element in another relatively adjusted position to said blade structure in which it is conditioned for screw-holding operation, means responsive to pushing engagement of a screw with said blade structure for releasing said element to a screw-holding position, and means operated by the blade structure in response to driving of a screw to restore said blade structure to its initial condition.

6. In a screwdriver adapted for conditioning selectively as a standard screwdriver or as a screw-holding screwdriver, a blade structure including a holding element movable between screw-holding and inactive positions relative to the remainder of said blade structure, means for conditioning said blade structure for operation as a standard screwdriver blade or as a screw-holding blade structure including a control element movable in opposite directions in vdetermining the conditioning of said blade structure, a pair of springs connected to influence said element in opposite directions, thestronger of said springs being op- Y erable to move said control element in a direction to determine conditioning of the blade structure as a standard screwdriver.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

